Best Time to Visit Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
AugustBest month to visit
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Visit Gila Cliff Dwellings in August
August offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season). For comparison, March is the most crowded month (~1.7× the average month) and January is the quietest.
Annual visits
34K
2025
Busiest month
Mar
1.7× avg
Quietest month
Jan
0.4× avg
10-yr trend
falling
-31.2%
More photos of Gila Cliff Dwellings
Photos courtesy of the National Park Service (public domain).
How crowded is Gila Cliff Dwellings by month?
Relative crowd level by month (1.0 = the park's average month), from NPS visitation records 1979–2025.
Month-by-month crowd, weather & daylight
| Month | Crowd level | Best-time score | Avg high / low | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Very quiet | 47 Fair | 57°F / 17°F | 10.0 h |
| February | Quiet | 49 Fair | 60°F / 22°F | 10.8 h |
| March | Very busy | 26 Poor | 67°F / 26°F | 11.8 h |
| April | Busy | 48 Fair | 73°F / 30°F | 12.8 h |
| May | Busy | 55 Fair | 81°F / 36°F | 13.7 h |
| June | Average | 75 Excellent | 90°F / 44°F | 14.2 h |
| July | Busy | 64 Good | 89°F / 53°F | 14.0 h |
| August★ best | Quiet | 76 Excellent | 87°F / 53°F | 13.2 h |
| September | Average | 69 Good | 83°F / 45°F | 12.2 h |
| October | Average | 53 Fair | 75°F / 33°F | 11.2 h |
| November | Quiet | 50 Fair | 65°F / 24°F | 10.2 h |
| December | Quiet | 45 Fair | 56°F / 18°F | 9.8 h |
Climate normals (1991–2020) from the nearest NOAA station (USC00293530, ~4.2 mi away).
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About visiting Gila Cliff Dwellings
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is a National Monument in NM and one of the system's hidden, low-traffic units, drawing about 34,000 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has eased over the past decade, down about 31.2%. Crowds concentrate sharply by season: March is the busiest month at about 1.7× the park's average month, while January is the calmest at roughly 0.4× — a 4-to-1 swing between high and low season. Roughly 26% of the year's visitors arrive in the three summer months of June, July and August alone, so timing a trip outside that window is the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels. Weather swings from an average high-season warmth near 71°F in July down to about 37°F in January, with the wettest stretch in August. About 7 months a year see comfortable average temperatures in the 50–80°F range, which is part of why crowd timing and weather timing don't always line up. The sweet spot is August: pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season). Visit then and you trade a little peak-season certainty for noticeably shorter lines and easier parking than the March rush. Daylight ranges from about 9.8 hours in midwinter to 14.2 hours near the summer solstice, which shapes how much ground you can cover in a day. These crowd figures are drawn from 1979–2025 of National Park Service visitor-use records, paired with 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals, and are updated as new monthly data is released.
Park overview
For thousands of years, groups of nomads used the caves above Cliff Dweller Creek as temporary shelter. In the late 1200s, people of the agricultural Mogollon (Southern Ancestral Pueblo) culture made it a home. They built rooms, crafted pottery and raised children in the cliff dwellings for one or two generations. By approximately 1300, the Mogollon had moved on, leaving the walls behind.
Weather & conditions
Weather is extremely variable. Summers are usually around 90° F. but approach 100° F. Winters have occasional snow or temperatures near 0° F. Thunderstorms are common in the summer and early fall, usually in the afternoon. https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=33.2296&lon=-108.2639#.YUX0_SuSmUk
Park overview text courtesy of the National Park Service — official park site.
Where to stay near Gila Cliff Dwellings
Hotels, cabins, lodges and vacation rentals near Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument — live availability and prices to plan your trip. August is our pick for the best balance of light crowds and good weather.
Top-rated places to stay near Gila Cliff Dwellings
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Getting to Gila Cliff Dwellings
The nearest airport is Show Low Airport (SOW), about 236 mi (5 hr 54 min drive) away. Most visitors reach Gila Cliff Dwellings by car.
Frequently Asked Questions
August offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season) at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. The park is busiest in March (about 1.7× the average month) and quietest in January.
March is the busiest month at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, running roughly 1.7 times the park's average monthly visitation.
January is the quietest month at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, at about 0.4× the average month — a good choice if you want to avoid crowds.
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument recorded about 34,438 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has been falling over the past decade (-31.2%).
Based on 1991–2020 climate normals, the warmest month at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument averages about 71°F (July). See the month-by-month table above for the full picture.
Show Low Airport (SOW) is the closest airport to Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, about 236 mi (5 hr 54 min drive) away.
Nearby parks to visit
Keep exploring
Water quality of lakes near Gila Cliff Dwellings
If you are planning to swim, paddle or fish on this trip, these graded lakes are within a 40-mile drive. Grades are A–F from EPA and state-agency sampling.
- Lake Roberts water qualityGrade — · 15 mi · NM
- Snow Lake water qualityGrade — · 19 mi · NM
- Bear Canyon Reservoir Deep water qualityGrade — · 29 mi · NM
- Bill Evans Lake Deep water qualityGrade — · 31 mi · NM
Sources: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1979–2025), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Crowd index = a month's visits ÷ the park's average month.